OTR Review: The Sealed Book "To Have and to Hold"

Series Name: The Sealed Book
Episode Title: To Have and to Hold
Original Air Date: 8/12/45
Available On: Relic Radio Podcast, Sept. 8 2009
Sound Quality: Average

The Sealed Book starts off a total hoot. A gong sounds, an over-eager organist goes to town with the first peels of Capt. Nemo style playing, then a great booming voice tells of The Keeper of the Sealed Book who opens his hideous tome to bring us this evening's story. It's a riotously over the top opening and it quite got me in the mood for some riotously over the top radio suspense. Unfortunately, what I got was "To Have and To Hold"

The story is a young woman drops in on her reclusive wealthy aunt, who no one in the town has seen for over 40 years. Food and various "men's items" (cigars, suits and other such manly items) are left on her front step. The young lady is determined to meet the old woman and meet her she does. Their meeting leads into a drawn-out flashback sequence that is occasionally punctuated by extended sections of wild-eyed organ playing (we're talking a minute or more, I must assume this is where advertisements would be added in, though I can't imagine selling Wheaties over the top of those sounds).

The performances are unmemorable but not offensive. The story is the same and for a suspense drama, inoffensive shouldn't be the best that can be said! You won't be hurt by this show, but I doubt it is going to do much to impress most listeners.

I'll give this one 2/5 Golden Masks.

OTR Review: Theater Five "Incident at Shadow Valley"

Series Name: Theater Five
Episode Title: Incident at Shadow Valley
Original Air Date: 9/8/64
Available On: Relic Radio Podcast, Sept. 8 2009
Sound Quality: Excellent

This is the second episode of Theater Five I've heard and it like the other is tightly written and well acted with solid sound design and direction. I gather that this series was ABC's attempt at radio drama revival from the early 60s and it's a pity that the revival didn't stick.

This episode takes place at The Last Chance Diner, a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. Pop is the lovable old coot who runs the place and it's an evening of troubles for the poor man, his grandson is sick to the point of death and his diner isn't up to code so there are going to be fines.

The police stop by to let the man know that a black truck from Universal Road Freighter just forced a driver off the road and to his death and the police are looking for the driver. After the police leave a pair of regulars stop by for coffee and food as they talk to Pop. Mr. Janus a creepy stranger with a stoney voice enters and unsettles folks with his cold voice, morbid attitude and eerie conversation.

The big surprise of the script isn't hard to guess but it's not the plot that makes this episode so interesting, it's the telling of it that so darned entertaining. The actor who plays Pop does so with warmth and creates a sympathetic portrayal where there could have been cliche. Mr. Janus is pure "radio announcer" in his delivery, but that's what the role demands. His monologs are also vastly entertaining

SPOILERS AHEAD: Janus, unsurprisingly, turns out to be Death himself. I have a soft spot for stories where Death comes and visits and this one does it quite well. END OF SPOILERS

I definitely recommend listening to this one and suspect it'll log more than a single listen from me.

4/5 Golden Masks (close to 5, if the plot had been slightly more unpredictable we'd have a 5/5)